Books
“Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth” by Jeff Kinney (Amulet Books, 218 pages, $13.95)
In 2007, Jeff Kinney published his “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.” It was written in the form of diary entries by Greg Heffley, an imaginary middle school student. That book started a publishing phenomenon.
The first four books in this series have sold more than 37 million copies. They have spawned a successful movie spinoff. These books are being read by kids in their tween years. The series has proved to be quite popular with boys who are not that big on reading books, those reluctant readers.
Middle school kids have so many distractions; movies, TV, computers, video games, cell phones, sports and music. Many kids are simply over scheduled. Reading books isn’t the high priority it once was. The “Wimpy Kid” series has spurred a welcome boost in reading among middle school boys.
So what’s the attraction here? I read the latest book in the series, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth” and I’m happy to admit that Kinney’s light-hearted rendition of Greg Heffley’s diary entries had my inner 12-year-old flipping through the pages and laughing right along with his millions of tween readers.
Kinney’s books are filled with humorous cartoon depictions of Greg acting out the scenes as he relates them through his diary entries. But Kinney had to make a tough decision; was he going to allow Greg to grow any older? After all, Bart and Lisa Simpson have remained the same age for years. Kinney decided to let Greg make some of the same transitions that his tween readers are experiencing.
In “The Ugly Truth” we find Greg facing the prospect of puberty. As the book begins, he has had a falling out with his best friend, Rowley. Over the course of these books, readers have been able to develop an affection for Greg. He possesses many traits that endear him to us. He can be selfish. He doesn’t like to admit to his mistakes. Nevertheless, he is lovable, despite his failings.
This series is successful because Kinney mines themes that resonate with his audience. Greg has issues with peer group pressure. His parents want him to be more responsible. His dad wants Greg to use an alarm clock to wake up in the mornings. Kinney has that gift for extracting the humor from seemingly mundane household interactions.
While Greg might not understand the full implications of the onset of puberty, he has a good sense of his own needs: “I’m a person who really needs his TV time at night.” My inner 12-year-old chuckled at the slightly crude situations that Kinney creates. This reviewer felt like he was back in the fourth grade again.
The author once aspired to become a newspaper cartoonist. That goal didn’t work out. Luckily for tween readers, he has remembered what it feels like to be in middle school. His publisher has already printed 5 million copies of “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth.” Coming soon to night stands across America.
Vick Mickunas interviews authors every Friday at 1:30 p.m. and on Sundays at 11 a.m. on WYSO-FM (91.3). For more information, visit www.wyso.org/BookNook.html. Contact him at vick@vickmickunas.com.
About the Author